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Klay Thompson Following Dad’s Footsteps To NBA Stardom

Klay Thompson had one of the best games of his career against the San Antonio Spurs in game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

The second-year guard for the Golden State Warriors had 34 points and 14 rebounds, leading his team to a 100-91 victory and a series now knotted at 1.

Still, it wasn’t good enough for his dad.

“He said I should have had 40, that I missed too many easy layups,” Klay Thompson said. “But that’s just the basketball player in him. He also said it was a great performance and that he was very proud of me.”

Klay’s dad is Michael Thompson, the former No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, who had flashes of greatness over his 12-year career and helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to two championships.

Though Klay Thompson is playing in the shadow of another emerging star, Stephen Curry, he has blossomed into a star in his own right. And his performance in the win over the Spurs put him in some rare company — the only other guards to have that many points and rebounds in a playoff game are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Vince Carter.

Thompson and Curry are considered one of the best up-and-coming frontcourts in the NBA, and together they already have brought the Warriors further than expected in the playoffs. Like Thompson, Curry also comes from a famous NBA lineage — his father is former player Dell Curry.

Coming off of what was considered an uneven series against the Denver Nuggets, Klay Thompson said he picked up for his struggles scoring by playing better defense.

“I thought I had a few good games in the first round where I shot the ball well,” he said. “I had some off games as well, but my defense was always there. I haven’t really been focusing on my offense because I’ve been trying to be as consistent as possible on the defensive end. That’s one area of the game you can control completely.”

Klay Thompson is considered a better complement to Curry and the team than Monta Ellis, who left the team two years ago to make way for Thompson.

“The move to the traditional backcourt of Curry at point and the bigger Thompson at the off-guard allows the Warriors to defend better than it could previously with Ellis,” writes Jimmy Spencer, lead NBA writer for Bleacher Report. “Thompson is just now gaining more notice for his top-notch defensive abilities. He is able to use his long arms and equally long strides to challenge opposing guards and wings.”

No matter what happens in the rest of the playoffs this year, the Golden State Warriors seem to have a bright future with Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.